A foundation set up by a Rugby World Cup winner and England’s most capped player has been given a major cash injection thanks to a professional body for Financial Planners and wealth managers.

Former international Jason Leonard’s ATLAS Foundation will benefit from £31,100 raised at the CISI’s West Country Branch annual dinner 2016.

The organisation uses rugby to improve the lives of some of the poorest people on earth, helping overseas development projects, providing pitches, coaches and teachers for schools, clubs and communities.

Blackadder producer John Lloyd was Guest speaker for the evening.

He spoke about working on Spitting Image, QI, and The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and amused the audience with stories of his encounters with the ‘television regulator’, from which he was called to defend various episodes of his somewhat irreverent programs, following complaints from viewers.

The event at Reed Hall, University of Exeter, included 90 guests donating to support the foundation. Guests donated £1,100 to the Foundation.

There were three subsequent pledges of involvement at £10,000 each for the charity’s Everest Expedition 2017 – a three-week Himalayan tour as part of the Gurkha community.

Stephen Roach, Chartered FCSI, President of the CISI West Country Branch said: “I would like to thank all those who gave so generously at this wonderful event, including members, sponsors and all stakeholders. The evening goes to endorse that capitalist minds with social hearts can achieve great things. We look forward to working with you over the next year.”

Other speakers included Major Bill Kelsall, who will be leading the expedition and CISI CEO Simon Culhane, Chartered FCSI.

Top table guests included: The Right Honourable Worshipful Lord Mayor of Exeter Cllr Cynthia Thompson; Professor Rajesh Tharyan, Senior Lecturer in Finance, Xfi Centre for Finance and Investment, Exeter University; Beverley Kelsall, guest of the Major; and Tony Steiner, Executive Director, Devon & Cornwall Law Society.

Sponsors of the event were Aberdeen Asset Management; Baillie Gifford; BlackRock; and Invesco Perpetual.